Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, just as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:7 (GNT) My husband and I have been living in Arizona for almost two years. We have a pretty home with a lovely walled in yard, surrounded in oleander bushes. Since we leave Arizona, in the summer, I asked a friend if and how much we should water them when we are away. She told me it is better to water once or twice a week for an hour, rather than watering them every day for 20 minutes. Since the soil is sandy and dry, the water will sit on top never getting to the roots. Unless the drip of the irrigation system is slow and sustained, the roots will grow upwards toward the water, becoming shallow and eventually fall over and die.
Our time with the Lord can be like this, too. When we are baby Christians, a few minutes in Bible study might be enough. But as we mature, we need more time to soak in God’s Word to become deeply rooted in him. It is not only reading the Bible, but meditating, studying, and perhaps memorizing it that helps us grow into the mature Christians we were meant to be.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have great success. Joshua 1:8 (ESV)
Spending time, daily, with the Lord can be difficult, especially when life demands our attention. However, when we do take that time to “be still” and allow God to speak to us through his Word and in our prayer, we are blessed with peace and a sense of direction for our personal lives.
All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy: 3:16 (NIV)
What is holding you back from spending some quiet time with God? How much time have you spent on Facebook or Instagram, today? It is so easy to fall into the trap of scrolling social media, or responding to instant messenger, instead of making daily Bible Study a priority. Like any discipline, it takes commitment to develop a time to spend with Jesus. Find a cozy spot, void of distraction, where you can give him your undivided attention. Yes, there may be interruptions, but most of the time you will be blessed as the Word “soaks” into your mind and heart.
Sheila's Place 